Category: Trans

So this morning, along with a few other members of staff, I was filmed for a Diversity and Inclusion video for Ada Lovelace Day at work. Very positive experience, and I was wearing my rainbow chain mail necklace made by the wonderful Rosemary Warner, and a safety pin, which I had to explain the meaning of to the two peeps doing the filming. We all of us read the same script, and they are going to paste it together with each of us saying one sentence at a time. The script was not just about gender, it also mentioned age, skills, sexual orientation and physical ability among other things (I cannot remember the entire list). I was very happy and proud to take part.

On the 13th of May this year, I legally became Lucy Wayland. I’d been living as a woman full time a couple of months before that, but that is when two dear friends witnessed my name change. I am going to post about the whole experience when it is finally into the completion zone.

However, this last weekend just gone, I was helping out with the Cambridge (UK) MiniDebConf. I was mostly gophering and front-desk-helpering, with side orders of beverages, so I missed most of the talks. Which is not the point.

I met nearly everybody at the conference. Many of them knew me as Jon, a goateed man. I was there as Lucy, a woman. And nobody batted an eyelid.

Not a single person used my old name

Not a single person mis-gendered me

Not a single person referred to my transition

The only time I had to produce my Deed Poll out was for keysigning, as I still do not have photo ID with my new name on. I proffered it along with my passport, so there was no embarrassment.

I know other people within Debian have gone through the same process. However, I just have to say how wonderful it is, to be accepted just that way.

And hence the title of my article. Our differences bring us together. So many different people from so many different cultures came together, wanted to create, and my change of gender was just irrelevant.

I am a transgender woman. I am open about this.
Hear me Germaine Greer.
I want that smelly, hairy vagina.
I would have that transplant if I could.
I don’t want to procreate, which is why I got vasectomied.
But don’t deny me my rights.
I want that hairy, smelly vagina.
I would actually take the agony of period pain.
You are an out-dated dinosaur.
I am a woman.
You deny us.
Sod you.
You don’t know us.

Well, this New Year, I made the decision. I am going to transition. I have a sympathetic GP, a massively understanding employer (ref: Sophie Wilson), a large number of friends at various stages. Now was the time.

I will still be Aardvark of Fnord. I will still be the same person. Just the physical aspects and the real-life name I answer to will change. For the moment, I am still Jon in public, but when I have certain things in place, I will be Lucy full time.